Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Theatres with a massive lobby

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 08-06-2013, 09:49 AM:

I have attached a picture of a Cineplex Odeon theatre in the Toronto area that was the flagship when it opened in 1987. It boasted a lot of marble, two very long concession bars. There were nine theatres total and three were THX Certified and each of the THX theatres had 300 seats each.

When Jurassic Park introduced DTS Digital, two of the cinemas the THX theatres and eventually SDDS was installed in the remaining THX cinema.

The picture shows the one side of the lobby, that end had four cinemas and one THX theatre, the other side of the cinema was mirror of what the picture shows but it had one extra cinema that was behind the giant puzzle-painting of a tree.

Anyone witness a theatre that had s bigger lobby than this one?

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 08-07-2013, 12:59 AM:

For the number of screens, no. But all the 16 and 24-screen theaters around have significantly larger lobbies and the 30-screen theater I worked at in Houston is definitely much, much bigger, especially if you include the two extra concession stands in the side wings as being part of the "lobby."

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 08-07-2013, 10:11 AM:

This is a picture of the Landmark Loews Jersey inner lobby for a 1 screen theatre. There is also an outer lobby (not pictured).

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-07-2013, 10:42 AM:

quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens
I have attached a picture of a Cineplex Odeon theatre in the Toronto area that was the flagship when it opened in 1987.

Why the reluctance to identify this theater by name?

quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens
Anyone witness a theatre that had [a] bigger lobby than this one?

Maybe. Most of the 1990s era megaplexes in Southern California built by Edwards (now Regal) had very large lobbies.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 08-07-2013, 11:05 AM:

I saw one of the Edward Multiplex with a client and he noted that their lobby was the same size of one of his 7 plex theatres....
I went to a SXF multiplex in Bangkok, Thailand with a train station size lobby with several concessions, restaurants mix of VIP and large screens. All the auditoriums surrounded the lobby in a U shape with no hallways The next show group was seated in the lobby and an usher escorted them, in a tour guide fashion, to the auditorium.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-07-2013, 03:00 PM:

The Uptown in Chicago certainly has a massive one:

Oh if only it could get restored...

AJG

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-07-2013, 09:49 PM:

How are we defining "massive"? Does height matter? (Yeah it looks awesome, but the reason I'm asking is because height doesn't hold more people.)

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-07-2013, 10:01 PM:

The AMC Pleasure Island 24 at Disney World has two big lobbies, one at each end. I don't know if things have changed there lately since they turned it into a "chew and view" a while ago.

Posted by Joe Elliott (Member # 4006) on 08-16-2013, 07:49 PM:

At the dine in side (east side), the lobby appears to have been taken up by the kitchen. There is not much of a lobby on that side anymore. Also Pleasure Island is slowly fading away. It is now called Downtown Disney, although one zone is still called Pleasure Island.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-17-2013, 03:06 PM:

Santikos Palladium AVX multiplex in Richmond, TX (suburb west of Houston) has a pretty big lobby. The lobby has a variety of restaurants, a video game parlor and even a bowling alley.

These huge lobbies with numerous restaurants and alternative forms of entertainment are pretty cool. But these giant multi-purpose lobbies are taking the focus away from why customers have come to the site in the first place: to watch a movie.

When I visited this theater my girlfriend, Cynthia and I had only enough time to order some pizza and soft drinks before Star Trek: Into Darkness began. We didn't have extra hours of time to spend bowling or playing video games. We visited to watch a movie. While the visit to the lobby was impressive the actual presentation quality wasn't quite as good. The sound system had a significant problem: the center stage channel was on the fritz and we could hardly hear any dialog. This theater opened only a couple weeks prior to our visit.

If only movie theater chains would put the kind of effort into their auditoriums as they do the lobby the movie going situation might be a lot better than what it is.

By the way, the great GCC Northpark 1-2 theater I have been mentioning in other threads had a pretty unremarkable lobby. That twin theater's lobby was small. The real "wow" impact of that theater was felt by walking into the auditoriums, especially house #1. And then it was even more impressive once the show began. The GCC Northpark 1-2 was a theater whose priorities were in the correct order.

I spend maybe 10 or 20 minutes tops in a theater lobby. I spend 2 hours in the auditorium. I would prefer theaters to put their money where I'm spending the most time.

However, with talk of alternative content, Hollywood studios releasing ever more forgettable corporate controlled & designed movies, maybe this is a savvy move on the part of exhibitors. Diversify away from the auditoriums and have customers spend more time being entertained and fed in the lobby. Unfortunately they'll have to compete with all the other businesses elsewhere in town selling the same thing. And customers are still only going to visit a movie theater primarily to see a movie. They're not going to go there just to hang out in the lobby.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 08-17-2013, 04:34 PM:

Santiko's namesake Palladium in San Antonio is one of the states' largest grossing theaters. Makes me think they were trying to outdo the first one with this one, but yes, should have concentrated on the most important aspect: presentation. 2 weeks old and they had a center stage speaker not functioning properly? I hope someone in charge wasn't thinking "The customers won't notice that."

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 08-18-2013, 09:52 AM:

Good LORD that's an ugly facade. I wonder how many people don't even realize it's a theater and think it's a Greek banquet facility.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 08-18-2013, 12:11 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
The lobby has a variety of restaurants, a video game parlor and even a bowling alley.

I would not regard that as being the cinema's lobby, instead being the lobby for a larger entertainment complex which caters to non-cinema customers. The main difference, in comparison with most entertainment complexes is having the different facilities owned by the same company.

A large number of cinema lobbies seem to have been designed without thinking about how the customers will be managed (location of ticket check etc.). This often results in a large number of temporary barriers being used. This often spoils the impressiveness of the lobby.

Many cinemas have a far narrower lobby than the main bulk of the building (containing the screens) with shops and other uses filling the gap. This is seen in sites built a century ago and proposed new builds.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-18-2013, 02:04 PM:

I consider that big space the cinema's lobby. The ticket booth is at the front entrance. BTW, the Palladium AVX theater uses assigned seating. Thankfully customers can pick out which seats they want from a seating chart on displayed on a computer monitor.

I'm under the impression Santikos runs all the various restaurants in the lobby, which doubles as a food court/entertainment area.

This multi-purpose concept may not be entirely new, but it doesn't get away from its main problem: the customers are there primarily to see a movie. This kind of concept might work in an environment where people get to the theater on foot or use mass transit. And it might work better if the food & drink prices were more competitive with fast food restaurants outside the theater (they're selling what amounts to fast food inside). This Santikos location is way out on the far west side of the Houston metro, just off Grand Parkway (which when finished will be a more than 200 mile long 3rd loop superhighway around Houston). Customers are using their vehicles to get to the theater. They're probably going to eat somewhere else and then go to the movie theater.

Of course, there are theaters that specialize in the dinner at the movies concept (such as the Studio Movie Grill theaters in the Dallas and Houston metros), but I think they're a little more competitive with the total cost of eating at a different restaurant and then going to a movie.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-18-2013, 08:48 PM:

The front of that place looks more like it's a hotel or a convention center.

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 08-19-2013, 12:45 AM:

The AMC Puente Hills 20 has an unusually large lobby (more generic floorspace than impressive grandeur). Reminiscent of an indoor football field (with about the same level of atmosphere/charm), this oddity of 90's AMC megaplexes was the result of the theatre being built within the shell of a former department store.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 01-27-2014, 12:22 PM:

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-05-2014, 04:38 AM:

Yikes. Can can anyone say: garish, hard, sensory-overload. Can you say UGLY? Imagine what the place sounds like when it's filled with patrons (think kids) and all those hard surfaces reverberating and amplifying that cacophony -- not only voices, but there must be a dozen monitors blaring trailer soundtracks non-stop and the electronic bells and whistles of rows of arcade games all upping the decibel level. And although the pictures don't show it, I'll bet there are strobe lights going off somewhere in that visual mess. It's simply a big, noisy carnival midway. All that it's missing are the barkers hawking games of chance.

The atmosphere is not conducive to establishing a mood for anything but the big, noisy blockbusters where patrons can go from deafening noise and chaos in the lobby to deafening noise and chaos on the screen. Maybe it works for the action genre, but for any other type of movies (MOST, I'd say), this place screams pre-show stress.

I think of the RKO Keiths in Flushing/Queens NY with its huge, but graceful lobby with muted, warm colors and its stunning center-piece -- a three story rococo style fountain with the sound of gently cascading water flowing over status of baroque marble young maidens; it was able to be functional but with some sense of class and style. And then I look at this thing....

I suppose it is doing it job, evoking the motion picture milieu, such as it is -- but for me at least, the movie that jumps immediately to mind is one with Marlon Brando with the appropriate title for this place -- The Ugly American. All it needs to round off the scenario are a few thousand inebriated college spring-breakers cavorting through the place, occasionally vomiting hither and yon. Perfection.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-05-2014, 08:16 AM:

All I think when I see a lobby like that: what a freaking waste of money. How much better could the auditoriums have been if more of the budget was spent on them rather than the damned lobby?

Today's multiplex theater executive must believe customers spend most of their time socializing in the lobby and only pop into the movie once in awhile to see what's happening.
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 02-05-2014, 08:21 AM:

Looks like an airport from hell

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-05-2014, 09:51 AM:

quote: Frank Angel
Imagine what the place sounds like when it's filled with patrons (think kids) and all those hard surfaces reverberating and amplifying that cacophony -- not only voices, but there must be a dozen monitors blaring trailer soundtracks non-stop and the electronic bells and whistles of rows of arcade games all upping the decibel level.

You would actually be surprised at how quiet these locations are today. There is no audio on the screens and the arcade usually is tucked away in its own room. When the theatres did open, yes they were loud and obnoxious, one of the locations even had a theme park like popcorn popper that would shoot giant plastic boulder like popcorn pieces up in the air while making these really loud pops. But today the theatre is quieter than ever.

Originally many of these locations had Burger King, Taco Bell, New York Fries and KFC all located within the concession area. That has now changed. The Colossus and Paramount (Now Scotiabank) served alcohol.

quote: Frank Angel
The atmosphere is not conducive to establishing a mood for anything but the big, noisy blockbusters where patrons can go from deafening noise and chaos in the lobby to deafening noise and chaos on the screen. Maybe it works for the action genre, but for any other type of movies (MOST, I'd say), this place screams pre-show stress.

It was mostly blockbusters that would play at these locations. Famous Players had four trademarked concepts, the Silver City, Coliseum, Colossus and the Paramount flagship theatres. These theatre made a ton of money and they dominated Cineplex until Cineplex bought Famous Players out. The studios gave these locations preferential treatment most of the time, they were real money making locations and they were game changers.

quote: Frank Angel
I suppose it is doing it job, evoking the motion picture milieu, such as it is

Famous Players at the time had a slogan called "Big Screen, Big Sound, Big Difference" and if you look closely at the photos, you will see the slogans posted on one of the walls. The lobby did its job at the time, but so did the actual auditoriums as well. These theatres were spared no expense when it came to the actual auditoriums, all four of the Famous Players concepts (Silver City, Coliseum, Colossus and the Paramount flagship theatres) had THX auditoriums while the Colossus and Paramount theatre were all THX approved. When Paramount opened on May 19, 1999 (same day as Star Wars), the theatre was equipped right from the start with Dolby EX.

Paramount, Colossus and Coliseum had purpose built IMAX theatres added into the complex, I still go to the Coliseum IMAX location from time to time. I saw Dark Knight Rises at the Paramount (now called Scotiabank). The original Famous Players IMAX venues are really nice.

quote: Martin McCaffery
Looks like an airport from hell

LOL

Here are some exterior and interior pics of the Paramount now called Scotiabank:

ULTRA AVX, not just AVX

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-05-2014, 12:04 PM:

Hmm, additional pics of this monstrosity aren't doing much to change my mind. In fact, if you think back of how cartoonists traditionally portrayed their characters going crazy or being hit over the head, it was invariably with spiral circles in their eyes...yes, JUST like the spiral circles the designer-on-crack use all over the ceiling in the third picture (first interior) above. I guess that's exactly what he/she (nah, it had to be a he) was going for. You know, like this:

A design that says, you're in TOON-town and you've just been hit over the head with a toon bat.

BTW, yes the interiors are noisy, garrish, but the exteriors....only one word comes to mind -- HIDIOUS. Oh wait...did I say one word? How silly of me: ghastly, repulsive, grisly, appalling and downright nasty. etc.

And PS, with all that tech-ie looking stuff outside in the lobby supposedly to give the impression you are in a state-of-the-art motion picture theatre, they couldn't seem to get the UltraAVXXX image to be framed properly on the screen, or is that "frame line" at the top of the screen there just for nostalgia's sake, reminiscent of how they used to have their film presentations start out-of-frame? "PROJECTIONIST"! [evil]

Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 02-05-2014, 12:27 PM:

I quite like the look of that auditorium, save for the top-of-screen issue obviously.

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-05-2014, 12:28 PM:

I spend a considerable amount of time in the GTA, and I avoid Cineplex and their overblown tacky eyesore theaters like the plague, even though their projection and sound are generally pretty good. The exception is the more tastefully appointed Varsity which is only a few blocks from where I stay. I understand that some of these places were originally built by Famous Players, but Cineplex has always been a lousy chain, dating from its days being run by the notorious craphound Garth Drabinsky (or as he was usually called, Darth Grabinsky). I don't know how old you are, Terry, but I wonder if you recall the Cineplex Eaton Center 18, probably the single worst example of film done wrong that I have ever personally encountered. Rear screen projection in most of the tiny, bare walled auditoriums, some of which were 16mm. For someone who used to visit great old Toronto theaters like the University, Uptown, Eglinton, Glendale, it was horrible.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-05-2014, 04:10 PM:

quote: Mark Ogden
I don't know how old you are, Terry, but I wonder if you recall the Cineplex Eaton Center 18, probably the single worst example of film done wrong that I have ever personally encountered. Rear screen projection in most of the tiny, bare walled auditoriums, some of which were 16mm.

Mark, I have been around a really long time. The Eaton Center I remember very well, went there on many occasions. Yes a terrible way of projecting film for an audience and the cinemas were tiny. I believe the Eaton Center was on of the first theatres that Drabinsky opened under the Cineplex banner.

quote: Mark Ogden
but Cineplex has always been a lousy chain, dating from its days being run by the notorious craphound Garth Drabinsky

Yes they were a lousy chains, but Darth did open up some really nice THX approved theatres in the mid to late 80s, it was after they ousted him that Cineplex really went into the gutter in the mid 90s.

Cineplex under Drabinksy did have some good theatre and some bad ones. The original Varsity was his location.

The Uptown, Eglinton, Runnymede, Sheraton, Hollywood, York and Hyland were are great theatres. Some were Cineplex and some were Famous.

quote:
The exception is the more tastefully appointed Varsity which is only a few blocks from where I stay. I understand that some of these places were originally built by Famous Players,

I have never been fan of the Varsity, but it is a nice place. The newer Cineplex Cinemas were indeed formerly built by Famous Players.

quote:
Hmm, additional pics of this monstrosity aren't doing much to change my mind. In fact,

Does this change your mind?

quote: Buck Wilson
I quite like the look of that auditorium, save for the top-of-screen issue obviously.

The Ultra AVX screens are not bad, but they do not have masking.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-05-2014, 05:32 PM:

Cineplex eaton centre was the first of the Nat Taylor Drabinsky venture and was when built all 16mm rear screen and later 3 basement front screen 16mm were added Also Warden Woods, Scarbro town centre Hillcrest richmondhill, Market Sq,and Carlton in toronto were all front screen 16mm
The rear screen eatons used Bell& Howell machines converted to a 450 watt vertical lamphouse mounted on top shining down into the place where a regulare incadescent lamp went into a 45 degree mirror
The Front screen locations used Fumeo's and Prevost Favorite 16mm machines
When they switched to 35mm they replaced them with either Ernamann9 Prevost P35 or Ballantyne Pro35 in the front screens and in the rear screens it was Micocine or prevost
The Varsity twin was built by Canadian Odeon Theatres long before Cineplex ever surfaced

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-05-2014, 05:42 PM:

And when was Eaton Centre upgraded to 35mm exactly?

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-05-2014, 07:55 PM:

Don't know when the 35mm conversion took place, but the Eaton Center's screen configuration changed several times during the years it was open. Started out as 18 screens, then it became 21, then it finished as 16, I think. There was one fairly large auditorium that at one point was actually 70mm capable by virtue of having a Vic-10, but I don't know if they ever took advantage of the capability. The rear screen auditoriums that I saw had Prevost machines that sat on the floor that were fed from double MUTS.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-06-2014, 12:17 AM:

I think Eaton Center opened with 18 and then was expanded to 21 or something, maybe it was reduced. It's been so long so it's hard to tell.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-06-2014, 11:14 AM:

Eaton Centre was 18 screens 3 in the basement were added then on the main level and upper level several were gutted to make #5 with the balcony it had a Prevost Favorite70 that had been at market sq initially ( used there for Tarzan in 70) later it was replaced with the V10 from the Don Mills theatre and it ran 70 several times It had a Xetron lamphouse and Balco platter
The rear screens except cinema 4 had prevosts that sat on the floor with cinemecanic single sided towers (not muts) or the imfamous 2 deck manford platters (originally built for 16mm)

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-06-2014, 12:45 PM:

And when did Eaton Center go 35mm?

Found this at Cinematreasures

To say I hated working this theatre (as a projectionist) would be the understatement of the Century (or Simplex or Cinemeccanica). This was the single most wretched job an operator could get assigned to in the Toronto Local in the 80s and 90s, in my opinion. It was originally 16mm only and ran with non-union operators. King Garth then put in 35mm equipment in throughout. The problem is, many of these abominations masquerading as auditoria were equipped with rear-screen projection equipment, a cobbled-together mini-platter system or MUTT arrangement, and three front-surface mirrors. Did I mention the projectors sat on the floor? Did I mention the rats and mice in the booth? There were three sections (six regular ops). Front section on the main floor and the three downstairs booths, back-half main floor and second floor. Number 5 was retrofitted with a Cinemeccanica Vic-X (the second machine out of the Humber downstairs when they put a platter in there). Number 5’s booth and the downstairs corridor for 15-16-17 were not bad. When I heard it closed I so wanted to ride a bulldozer through the lobby and personally tear the place to rubble.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/850/comments

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-06-2014, 02:15 PM:

The V 10 went in in 88 or 89 as I bought and removed the prevost favorite and installed it in the century theatre in lindsay The humber was still twin machine then the second machine from the humber was sent west along with the albion mall vic10s

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-23-2014, 06:07 PM:

quote: Mark Ogden
For someone who used to visit great old Toronto theaters like the University, Uptown, Eglinton, Glendale, it was horrible.

Mark, I thought you might appreciate some of these:

Early 1970s top secret Dolby Atmos testing, "Eat your heart out" Bobby [Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-23-2014, 07:08 PM:

I only LOVED the Uptown. The balcony screen was my favorite, and if I recall correctly, was the only THX screen in the house. I remember Rick Long, who was with Best Theatre Supply, was the projectionist there towards the end, early 1990s or so. My then girlfriend and I used to see a movie here, then run up to the Varsity or Cumberland and catch another. Sometimes we used to stop for something quick to eat at Toby's on Bloor, because Toby always used to run over to her when she came in (Toby was a dog, for those wondering). Thanks for posting the shots. [thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 02-23-2014, 09:31 PM:

quote: Gordon McLeod
Eaton Centre...it had a Prevost Favorite70...used there for Tarzan in 70

I assume you're referring to "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984).

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-24-2014, 12:52 AM:

quote: Mark Ogden
if I recall correctly, was the only THX screen in the house.

Yes it was the only THX auditorium in the house. Uptown 1 and Uptown 2 were both equipped with 70mm, not sure if you recall. I remember seeing a lot of movies back in the day at the Uptown, boy have times changed. Uptown did not get a THX certification until sometime in 1990's, the Eglinton was THX approved in 80's and so was the Sussex Center when it opened its doors in 1987.

Here is the Eglinton:

Here is the Glendale:

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-24-2014, 10:31 AM:

The balcony auditorium pix is of the cinema2 of the imperial 6 not the uptown
Uptown 1 originally had the first JJ serrial 1-2-3 it was a 3 machine booth the third machine had a Hycandescent lamphouse the two used daily had X60 the sound system pre THX was a CP100 with a SA4 surround adapter and a home built set of crossovers for the splitsurround format 43
The amps at that time were cerwin vega the carbon machine was used for 35mm trailors before a 70mm feature and the anthem at the end of the day
The centurys were replaced with 2 Vic 8 and a ORC platter and a CP200 with Bryston 4B amps
interesting the JJ were sold to Steve Kramms shipped to Florida then sold to the Lyric in Kitchener Ontario and re installed there with xenex 1 lamphouses and a EPRAD Super StarScope Galaxy soundsystem When it closed they were sold and installed somewhere in the states before Mark Gulbrandson bought them and sold them to me shipped back to toronto and reinstalled at the Danforth Music Hall where I assume they still sit a well travelled machine

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 02-24-2014, 10:43 AM:

Wow!You could make an epic movie about the JJ's travel's! Shot in 70mm! [Big Grin]

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-24-2014, 04:57 PM:

quote: Gordon McLeod
The balcony auditorium pix is of the cinema2 of the imperial 6 not the uptown
Uptown 1 originally had the first JJ serrial 1-2-3 it was a 3 machine booth the third machine had a Hycandescent lamphouse the two used daily had X60 the sound system pre THX was a CP100 with a SA4 surround adapter and a home built set of crossovers for the splitsurround format 43
The amps at that time were cerwin vega the carbon machine was used for 35mm trailors before a 70mm feature and the anthem at the end of the day

quote: Mark Ogden
I only LOVED the Uptown.

Looks like I made an error, here is the Uptown 1